Feeder for gas generators



Filed Jan. 14. 1925 G W SAATHOFF FEEDER FOR GAS GENERATOR n 5 5%; w 25% 6 H 2 7 G. w. SAATHOFF Filed Jan. 14

FEEDER FOR GAS GENERATORS Oct. 26 1926.

air I I A l gmvmtoz Patented (Jet. 26, 1926.

-arrs STATE rarnnr tries.

GEORGE W=SAATHOFR OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNIVIENTS, TO COMBUSTION UTILITIEs CORPORATION, OF 'NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION or MAINE.

FEEDER FOR GAS GENERATORS.

Application filed January The present invention relates to the art of feeding solid fuels to furnaces or the like in which it is important to prevent the escape of fluid at the time the fuel is introduced into the furnace.

It has been known to introduce solid fuel into a furnace, gas generator, or like structure by means of a valve-like feeder capable of introducing a measured quantity of solid fuel into the furnace or gas generator while permitting only a minimum amount of gas to escape therefrom. A. known device for this purpose moreover comprises a hollow rotatable member mounted in a chute normally filled with coal or other fuel. The axis of the hollow member is mounted transversely of the chute and one side of the memher is cut away so that when the cut away portion is uppermost the member fills with coal, which is afterward dumped into the furnace upon the revolution of the member. In the operation of such a device, after the member has filled with coal it is necessary that the edge of the member at one side of the cut away portion be forced through the column of coal to cut off the coal in the member from the bottom of the column. It has been found necessary also to form a cutting edge on the member or feeder when operating on certain kinds of fuel, in order that the cutting off action may not require too much power. However, the cutting edge just mentioned is frequently dulled and battered out of shape and the cutting action puts such a heavy strain on the device that the feeders need to be changed frequently. This is a matter of some trouble and expense.

It is the principle object of the present invention to provide a feeding mechanism for furnaces, gas generators. and the like, by which the difliculties just mentioned may be avoided.

The novel features of the present invention are set out in the appended claims. The

invention. itself. however, together with further objectsand advantages, will-best be un derstood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in whi ch- Fig. 1 is an elevation of the upper portion of a gas generator equipped with feeding apesta e ecer es t thee-resen invention;

14, 1925. Serial No. 2,398.

Fig. 2 is a section of the coal feeder taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the part of the coal feeder illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevation on a larger scale of the upper portion of the apparatus illustrated in the upper part of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view taken from the right of Fig. 4, a part being broken away for purposes of illustration; and

Fig. 6 is a detail looking in the .same direction as Fig. 4, the parts being illustrated in different position, parts being united, and parts being shown in section for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing, 10 indicates the upper end of a gas generator of known type having gas exits at 12 and 13. Goal or the like is introduced into generator 10 at the top by means of a fuel chute 14, chute 14 being fed from the hopper 16, which is normally maintained at least partly full of fuel. The chute 14 is enlarged intermediate its ends as illustrated at 18. Figures 1, 3 and 4, to form a .seat for a hollow frustro-conieal cutoff and fuel feeder 20 which entirely closes chute 14. Feeder 20 has solid transverse heads 22 and 24 and is cut away to form a mouth as illustrated at 26 to permit entrance and exit of coal into its interior, depending on whether the mouth 26 is turned upwardly or downwardly in the chute 14. The feeder or cutoff 20 is rotated when in use by any suitable or desired means such as the sprocket wheel 28 illustrated as keyed to the head 24. As feeder 2O revolves it is automatically filled by coal which is fed down through chute 14 as the mouth 26 opens upwardly and automatically empties the coal into generator 10 as mouth 26 opens downwardly. If the chute 14 were normal- .ly full of coal or fuel above the feeder 20 it would be necessary for the edge 30 of the feeder .20 to cut through a column of fuel in itsreyolution as soon as thefeeder had been filled on account of the mouth 26 coming i upwa ly f si r s In order to prevent this cutting action, the disadvantages of which have been explained'above, accordingto the present inre a on m su g ppw usf P a e n- ..tsrmeeiei ith shin 1. a d this eepe whereby the feeder 20 receives each time that mouth 26 is turned upwardly only ap proximately enough coal or fuel to fill device 20, thereby avoiding the necessity for any cutting action on its part.

The measuring apparatus or means just mentioned comprises a housing 32 intermediate hopper 16 and chute 14. Above housing 32 is supported a spout 34, the upper end of which connects with the discharge end of the hopper 16. lVithin housing 32 there is mounted for reciprocation a plate 36 which is normally held in position to prevent the downflowof coal or other fuel from the lower end of the spout 34. The plate 36 is suspended from two pairs of wheels 38, 38 mounted to roll in two oppositely facing channel track members 40, 40 the track members 40 being supported at their ends on brackets 42, 42, within housing 32. The plate 36 is secured to angle irons 44 which carry the trunnions on which the wheels 38 are rotatably mounted. It will be understood from the foregoing that the weight of the column of coal above plate 36 is supported by this plate which is supported in turn by the housing 32 by means of the arrangement of tracks and wheels just mentioned and. strap connections 44 between the wheels 38 and plate 36.

According to the present invention, it is necessary that plate 36 be moved laterally during the revolution of the feeder to permit coal to fall over the ends of plate 36 into the upper part of the chute l4 and thence in to feeder 20. It is necessary also that the amount of coal thus dropped into feeder 20 should be not more than enough to fill the feeder to the level of its mouth 26. Since the fuel does not always feed uniformly into the feeder 20 from the hopper the measuring operation of the plate 36 is preferably arranged to feed such a quantity of fuel less than the capacity of feeder 20, that all of the fuel will readily pass into the feeder and not project therefrom so as to require any cutting action as the feeder is rotated.

The present invention is not limited as to means for thus moving the plate 36 of the measuring mechanism, but an arrangement actually in use for this purpose is illustrated in the drawing. This arrangement comprises a pin 46, (Figs. 2, 5 and 6), fixed on the outer face of the head 22 of the feeder 20. Journaled to the pin 46 is a rod 48 upon which is slidably mounted a head 50.

. Head 50 carries pins 52 swivelled to a lever 54 fixed to a shaft 56, (Fig. 5), journaled in the housing 32. Shaft 56 extends into housing 32 and within the housing 32 shaft 56 has fixed thereto a pair of arms 58, 58 the upper ends of which are slotted as indicated at 60 in Fig. 4 to receive a pin 62 carried in angle plates 64 fixed to the bottom of the plate 36. From the foregoing itWill be @Yident that the rotary motion of the pin 46 on the feeder 20 will cause the rod 48 to reciprocate and this reciprocation of the rod 48 will be transmitted to the plate 36 through lever 54, shaft 56, and arms 58. It is desirable, however. according to the present invention, that the plate 36 remain stationary during a considerable portion of the revolution of the feeder 20, and to accomplish this purpose, according to the present invention a special arrangement of the head parts has been adopted. As illustrated, the head 50 previously mentioned is constructed so as to be slidable on the rod 48. At the outer end of the rod 48 there is a collar 66 threaded on rod 48 and held in place by a Jain nut 67. Collar 66 has externally threaded thereto a broad nut or adjustable head or nut 68 adapted to come into contact with one face of the slidable head 50. On the other side of the head 50 from the adjustable head or nut 68 is a collar 70 mounted to slide on rod 48. The head 50 is held into contact with the nut 68 by a compression spring 72 which is mounted on the rod 48 between the collar 70 and a collar 74 on the lower end of the rod. It will be seen therefore that as the pin 46 rotates from the position illustrated in Fig. 4 nut 68 will descend, but no movement of head 50 and plate 36 will occur until nut 68 actually engages head 50, the parts being illustrated in Fig. 4, in a position in which head 50 and nut 68 are spaced apart. Vhen pin 46 has reached the position illustrated in Fig. 6, plate 36 has been thrown the maximum distance to the right.

After the pin 46 passes the position illustrated in Fig. 6, nut 68 begins to rise, but obviously has no effect on the head 50 which lags behind nut 68 on this stroke. As the pin 46 continues to revolve, however, spring 72 is compressed to the point at which it overcomes the resistance of the parts and the return stroke of plate 36 is thereupon initiated and completed during further rotation of pin 46. 1t will be understood that movement of plate 36 occurs in one direction during approximately 25 per cent of the movement of the pin 46 and the movement of plate 36 in the opposite direction also occupies about 25 per cent of the movement of the pin 46, the periods of movement of the plate 36 being separated by approxin'iately equal portions of the cycle of pin 46 in which plate 36 is stationary. The action of the measuring mechanism is improved and made more positive if an angle 76 is fixed beneath the chute 34 and just above the sur face of plate 36 so as to push the fuel later- 1 ally relatively to the plate to ensure that the fuel will spill over the ends of the plate as the plate comes to the end of its stroke. As illustrated, the ends of angle 76 are fixed a? '77 y timing 9. like means to the inner faces of track members 40. Angle 76 moreover, is set substantially in the vertical plane including the axis of the feeder 20, and the center of chute 34. The vertical plane of angle 76 is also the central transverse plane of plate 36 when the plate is stationary in the center of its stroke.

In the operation of the measuring mechanism just described, the nut 68 is so adjusted that with a given setting of arms or levers 54 and 58, 58 on spindle 56 and a given spring, the plate 36 moves equally to the right and to the left of the center of the chute 34. Viewing the measuring mechanism according to the present invention as in Figs. 4 and 6, the parts are illustrated in Fig. 6 at the instant in which plate 36 is at the extreme right of its stroke. The fuel is then spilling over the left end of plate 36. Pin 46 is then near its lowermost position. As appears from Fig. 3, also the feeder 20 is then opening downwardly, since Fig. 3 shows that pin 46 is in line with the center of mouth 26. lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, the fuel therefore spills'on the outside of the shell of feeder 20. As feed-er 20 then revolves toward the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and mouth 26 begins to open, fuel resting on the out side of feeder 20 is pushed into it through mouth 26 by the casing 18. Also at about the same time, plate 36 arrives near the opposite end of its stroke and fuel then begins to spill off plate 36 and to fall directly into feeder 20 through the open mouth 26. Fuel spilling from plate 36 in this position, the position of Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted falls down chute 14 on the side away from the closing edge of feeder 20. Also as pin 46 passes the position in which it appears in Figs. 3 and 4, the pressure on spring 72 is relaxed and plate 36 comes to rest, so that the movement of fuel over the end of plate 36 comes to a stop very soon after pin 46 passes the point just mentioned. As mouth 26 is turned up when the pin 46 is at the top of its course, it is evident that no fuel is dropped into feeder 20 at a time when there is danger of its being caught between closing edge 30 and the casing 18.

It will be understood that while I have described the present invention in connection with a specific form of conical feeder, I do not limit myself to this type of feeder,

or to other details of the foregoing description except in so far as such details are expressly stated in the claims. Moreover, the measuring mechanism according to the present invention may be used in apparatus in which other material than fuel is to be measured.- and also that it may be used for measuring material under conditions where no feeder valve or its equivalent is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A fuel feeding apparatus comprising in combination a hollow rotary feeder having a mouth "for entrance and exit of fuel, a horizontal plate mounted for reciprocation above said feeder, a spout above said plate for delivering fuel thereto, a connection between said feeder and said plate whereby the plate is moved forth and back during -definite portions of a given revolution of said feeder, and means for causing positive lateral movement of the fuel supported by the plate relative to the surface of the plate as the plate moves back and forth.

2. A fuel feeding apparatus comprising in combination a rotary hollow feeder having a mouth for entrance and exit of fuel, a horizontal plate mounted for reciprocation above said feeder, a spout above said plate for bringing fuel thereto, a connection between said feeder and said plate, said connection having means whereby said plate is caused first to move in one direction, to pause, to move in the opposite direction and then again to pause.

3. A fuel feeding apparatus comprising in combination a rotary feeder, having a mouth for entrance and exit of fuel, a horizontal plate mounted for reciprocation above said feeder, a spout above said plate for delivering fuel thereto, a connection between said feeder and said plate, said connection comprising a rod swiveled to said feeder, an adjustable nut at the end of said rod removed from said feeder, a collar movably mounted on said rod and connected by a spring to the rod at a point near said feeder, a movable head on the said rod intermediate said collar and said nut and a connection between said head and said horizontal plate for reciprocating the plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. SAATHOFF. 

